When The 1975 released their first album I was only 10 years old. I didn’t know much about myself or what kind of music I enjoyed, all I knew was that I listened to what my sister listened to. At the time, the only two things downloaded on her iPod Touch were One Direction’s “Take Me Home”, and The 1975’s self-titled debut album.

 I remember listening to songs like “Chocolate” on that neon blue iPod Touch and thinking I was the coolest 4th grader alive. Although I had no idea what they were singing about, I loved every song. 

Now, flash forward to senior year me. When I heard that The 1975 was releasing a new album, I was nervous. They have always been one of my favorite bands primarily because of their unique sound. From Matt Healy’s thick, almost unintelligible Manchester accent to the overall “synth-y” sounding instruments, their music is like no other. I genuinely feared that they would have lost that sound that I loved so much. But, when I hit play on the album the Friday morning after it was released, my worries dissipated. 

“Being Funny In A Foreign Language” was released Oct. 14th. The album contains 11 tracks with singles “All I Need To Hear”, “I’m In Love With You”, “Happiness”, and “Part Of The Band”. 

The record starts off with the classic song, “The 1975”  that has kicked off each of their albums. On their other records, this song has normally been my least favorite. But, I was pleasantly surprised when I heard it this time around. In the opening lyric, Healy sings, “This will get bigger in you know what I mean, I’m sorry if you’re living and you’re 17”. The heart-wrenching, relatable lyrics similar to this one that followed throughout the rest of the song let me know that it was going to be a great album. 

To no one’s surprise, “Being Funny In A Foreign Language” quickly found its way to the social media platform, Tiktok. Track 10, “About You”, has become the most viral song of the album with thousands of videos of teens singing along to the bridge. The fascination with this particular excerpt of the song has risen due to its similarity to the band’s old music that fans adored so much. Although I’d love to say that I was different from the fans of Tiktok and have some other appreciation to share regarding the album, I wholeheartedly agree with them. The nostalgia that comes along with “Being Funny In A Foreign Language” is what truly makes the album great. 

Everytime I play a song off of the album, I’m transported back into being a 10-year-old listening to The 1975 with my sister. I feel like it’s 2013 again, but this time I’m actually old enough to understand what the music means. I’m 17, and I’ve never related to music more than I could now. This album encapsulates the teenage experience perfectly, and I’m looking forward to it being the soundtrack to my senior year.